'Patriot' is a posthumous memoir by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

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🗓️ 1 November 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, died in a Siberian prison this past February–and in his diary entries, Navalny wrote that he knew he might not make it out alive. Those diaries are part of Navalny's new memoir, Patriot, published posthumously with help from his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. The book details some of Navalny's darkest moments in his fight for a more democratic Russia, but also showcases the leader's characteristic humor. In today's episode, Navalnaya joins NPR's Ari Shapiro to talk about a pivotal conversation between the couple during a prison visit, the duality of her late husband's personality as a serious politician and an ordinary family man, and taking up the mantle of the Russian opposition movement after Navalny's death.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Amtair's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. The book we're talking about
0:06.5	on the podcast today is just the latest in a long literary tradition of books written while being
0:12.3	imprisoned. It's Patriot by Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died earlier this year.
0:18.4	His book is a memoir detailing his youth, leading his movement against Vladimir Putin
0:22.5	and through his imprisonment.
0:24.7	His widow, Yulia, Naval Naya, spoke with NPR's Ari Shapiro, and we're going to spend
0:29.3	the entire episode on this conversation because I think it's important to hear how she says
0:34.4	the real Alexei Navalny is in these pages, how he showed real strength in the face of
0:40.2	adversity, but also how he was kind of a funny goof. That's coming up.
0:45.9	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts,
0:52.8	diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show,
0:56.2	Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
1:00.9	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the
1:06.5	NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. The Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, wrote, if they do finally whack me, the book will be my
1:17.9	memorial.
1:19.2	The book is a new memoir called Patriot.
1:22.8	Navalny died in a Siberian prison this past February.
1:26.3	His wife, Yulia, now leads the movement her
1:29.8	husband started fighting Russian President Vladimir Putin's grip on power. And she's with us to talk
1:35.6	about her late husband's book. Yulia Navalnya, welcome to all things considered. Hello, Ari. Thank you
1:42.2	for having me. We are happy to have you here.
1:45.2	This memoir begins with a scene of Alexei on a plane, realizing that he has been poisoned
	...

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